


Pitching a Tent

by cmere



Category: Red White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Genre: Alternate Universe, Camping, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Never Have I Ever, Smut, beach, there was only one tent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:36:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24940123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cmere/pseuds/cmere
Summary: Henry looks Alex up and down appraisingly. Alex feels heat rising in his neck and wills it to stop, burning with curiosity about what Henry’s going to ask. He finally says in a low voice, “Are you a serial killer?”Alex smirks. “Even if I was a serial killer, wouldn’t I just say no to get you alone?”“Dammit, you’re right,” Henry says, grinning. “I guess I’ll have to take my chances then.”“Live dangerously, sweetheart.”- or -“our mutual friend dropped out of this trip at the last minute, so hi i guess we’re spending the weekend together” AU!
Relationships: Alex Claremont-Diaz/Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor
Comments: 85
Kudos: 514





	Pitching a Tent

**Author's Note:**

  * For [perfect-porcelain (tedddylupin)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tedddylupin/gifts).



> This fic is for my wonderful friend [Kathleen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tedddylupin/pseuds/perfect-porcelain)'s birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GIRL! I hope you forgot that you gave me this prompt. It was so much fun to write. ILU and I hope you have the best day! <3
> 
> Thanks so much to [Len](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SPILTSTARLIGHT/pseuds/SPILTSTARLIGHT) for reading this over and reassuring me and being so wonderful and helpful as always!!! What would I do without you?!

“Nora did _what_? June, slow down.” Alex runs his free hand through his hair, pressing the phone tightly against his ear. 

“She broke her ankle. I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to call until now. We’re at the hospital and—”

“Jesus, is she okay? What happened?” 

Alex locks eyes on June’s very tall, very blonde, and irritatingly attractive friend who showed up promptly at noon with a matching set of Burberry rolling suitcases and a preppy-ass outfit that probably cost more than Alex’s car. June and Nora were supposed to be there, too, but twenty minutes had gone by before June returned Alex’s call and broke the news. The friend—Henry—raises his eyebrows, and Alex holds up a finger to signal that he’ll explain in a minute.

“She’s getting pumped full of pain medication at the moment, so yes, she’ll be fine. We were carrying her tent and bags down the stairs—you know, those terrible steep stairs in her building? And she lost her footing, and fell all the way to the bottom. It made the most horrible crack. But the doctor said it looks clean and should heal up well.”

“Fuck. That’s awful.”

Henry widens his eyes at Alex, clearly begging for information. Alex waves his hand at him, slightly pleased that he gets to draw out the period of time in which Henry has no idea what’s going on.

“Suffice it to say, we’re not going to make it for the beach trip.”

“Of course not. We’ll reschedule, it’s fine.”

“No, Alex, I made the reservations for this campsite six months ago. There’s no way we’ll get a spot later this summer, we’d have to wait until next year. Henry’s residency ends in December and he’ll be going back to England. This is his only chance to experience it!”

“What are you saying? We can’t go without you.” Alex frowns, now pointedly avoiding looking at Henry.

“Please take him? I swear he’s really easy to get along with. Honestly, I think you’ll really like him! I know you have all your gear packed up already, and you took the day off work and everything. You need the vacation, anyway.”

Alex bites back the colorful array of insults that occur to him about so-called _easy to get along with_ Prince Charming bringing his matching designer suitcases on a camping trip to the _beach_ and says instead, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know as well as I do that you work way too hard and put in way too many hours for dirt pay at that non-profit. Please, just get out of town, enjoy the beach, Henry will make for great company and you won’t regret it. I promise.”

“I’ll—I’ll talk to him about it. I’m not going to force him to get in a stranger’s car and drive off who knows where. I could be a serial killer for all he knows.” Alex glances up at Henry again involuntarily. Henry’s looking at him with a half-bemused, half-terrified expression on his face now. It is, upsettingly, extremely cute. Alex _humphs_ into the phone.

“Don’t be a dumbass.” Alex can practically hear June rolling her eyes. “Is he standing right there? I’m sure you’ve terrified him now.”

“Tell Nora to stop falling down the stairs and I hope she feels better soon.”

“Think of me when you’re sipping beers on the beach with Henry. He’s hot, right? Gay, too. I know you haven’t seen any real action since law school.”

“Goddammit, June. Shut up.”

“Make me. Have fun, loser!”

“Bye.” Alex disconnects the call and looks at Henry apologetically.

“What’s happened, then?”

“Nora broke her ankle falling down the stairs. They’re at the hospital, and obviously camping on the beach is out of the question. June’s going to stay back to take care of her, too.”

“Oh, that’s terrible.” Henry levels Alex with an apprehensive gaze. “Did I understand correctly from your side of the conversation that rescheduling is out of the question?”

“You did,” Alex confirms. “June said we should still go, so you can get the experience and everything while you’re here. I’m...cool with it, and we have everything we need, but you signed up to go on this trip with your friend, not your friend’s random brother. So if you don’t want to go, it’s no big deal.”

Henry tugs his lower lip between his white, perfectly straight teeth, then slowly releases it. Alex watches its unhurried reappearance until his full, pink lips are both completely accounted for again. He realizes he’s staring and jerks his head down to the ground in front of him.

So Henry’s hot. And British. And apparently gay. By the look of his luggage set, he’s a pompous asshole and presumably intolerable. Nothing turns Alex off faster than someone who’s scared of getting their hands dirty. No need to be concerned about a potential hookup here. None at all.

“Can I ask you a question first?”

Alex raises his eyebrows. “Shoot.”

Henry looks Alex up and down appraisingly. Alex feels heat rising in his neck and wills it to stop, burning with curiosity about what Henry’s going to ask. He finally says in a low voice, “Are you a serial killer?”

Alex smirks. “Even if I was a serial killer, wouldn’t I just say no to get you alone?”

“Dammit, you’re right,” Henry says, grinning. “I guess I’ll have to take my chances then.”

“Live dangerously, sweetheart.” Alex thinks he sees a pink flush spread across Henry’s cheeks at the nickname, and he takes it as a victory. It’s too easy to get under this guy’s skin. “You ready, then?”

“I suppose so.”

Alex is standing by the passenger door, so he pulls it open for Henry before thinking about it. Henry shyly thanks him, and he experiences a weird fluttering sensation in his stomach.

This is, Alex thinks, a terrible idea.

— 

Assateague Island is a three hour drive from D.C. Alex forces Henry to take charge of the music and quickly informs him that his white boy emo taste is questionable at best. Henry shoots back that the insult doesn’t mean much coming from the kind of guy who looks like he would listen to the High School Musical soundtrack on repeat. Alex denies it, but Henry catches him later by putting on “We’re All In This Together” and cackling with glee when Alex automatically mouths along to the words.

They talk easily through most of the drive; Henry asks a ton of questions about Alex’s job as a lawyer for the D.C. Legal Aid Society and Alex responds with just as many about Henry’s writing residency at Georgetown. Alex is grudgingly impressed to find out Henry has already published two collections of personal essays and is currently working on a third while he teaches a part-time course load in the English department. June works at Georgetown as an adjunct, teaching one journalism class at night in addition to her full-time job writing for the Post. Alex hears the story of how Henry and June became fast friends due to neither of them having a clue what was going on when they started.

“We were both just standing at the copy machine,” Henry says, laughing, “our first classes starting in five minutes, and neither of us could get the stupid thing to turn on. All the office people had gone home, since we teach at night. June resorted to banging on the side of it. I thought security was going to come and kick us out and I’d be sent back to England before I even started.”

Alex sneaks a glance over at him. He looks relaxed, carefree, having rolled up the sleeves of his chambray and unbuttoned the top button. His hair is wild from the wind, and he’s animated and smiling as he talks. 

“So you must be the same level of dumbass as my sister when it comes to technology.”

“ _Excuse_ you, I am extremely skilled at technology. It’s not my fault American copy machines were created by the devil himself.”

Alex laughs in spite of himself. He feels Henry’s eyes trained on him; he keeps his on the road.

They make good time and Alex inhales deeply as he pulls into the small, sandy parking lot. The smell of the ocean will always remind him of Texas, make him long for the sandy gulf shores and perfect aquamarine water. This is the next best thing he and June have found now that they’re in D.C. permanently.

“We have to walk a little ways to our campsite, so it’ll probably take a couple of trips.” Alex jumps out of his beat-up Jeep and starts grabbing bags out of the back.

“When June said on the beach, she wasn’t kidding, was she?” Henry looks windblown and wide-eyed.

“Nope. Best campsite you’ll ever get, I promise. Do you, uh, need a hand with your luggage?” Alex tries to look as judgmental as possible as he pats one of Henry’s suitcases.

“I’m just now realizing these suitcases were not the best choice. Sorry, I’ve never been camping before.” Henry’s definitely blushing, and the flop Alex’s stomach does when he sees it is definitely related to vengeful glee at Henry’s poor preparation.

It takes a little while to get everything to the campsite and even longer to get everything set up. Henry repeatedly apologizes for his uselessness when it comes to setting up the tent; Alex delights in ordering him around as he scrambles to hold pieces the right way for Alex to connect them. Once everything is staked deep into the sand and secure to Alex’s liking, he drops his backpack inside, then starts putting together a fire to cook dinner over. Henry stands at the entrance to the small tent with his suitcases, looking completely out of place.

“What all did you bring, anyway? You know we’re going to be spending the next couple of days in our swim trunks, right?” 

Henry ruffles the back of his hair and stares dolefully at his luggage. “I might have overpacked. I wanted to be prepared for every possibility. I don’t know what people who camp usually need.”

“I don’t know about you, but currently the only thing I need is to jump in the ocean.” Alex is sweaty and disgusting after hauling everything around, and the sound of the water calls to him. Henry laughs.

“That sounds perfect.”

Alex tears his t-shirt over his head. Henry’s eyes linger on his abs; Alex pretends not to notice. “Ready?”

“Oh, I’ll just—need to change—is that your bathing suit?”

“Yep. I come prepared. I’ll meet you out there!” Alex jogs toward the ocean, hoping Henry is watching while he gives his ass a little extra shake along the way.

—

After an extended tumble in the cold waves, brats cooked over the fire, several beers and a couple of shots that he had to talk Henry into, Alex is feeling warm, happy, and nostalgic. He takes another pull from his drink and watches the flames dance, listens to the crackling wood and the soothing sound of the waves. Henry has gamely matched him drink for drink; Alex noticed him stumble just a little the last time he got up to take a piss. He already seems like a different person from earlier that day, a little messy and rough around the edges instead of buttoned up and put together just right. Alex likes it. 

He watches Henry wrap his lips around his beer bottle and tries to ignore the fleeting thought that he’d like to see Henry’s lips somewhere else. He decides to change tactics to get his mind moving in a different direction.

“Wanna play a game?” 

“What kind of game?” Henry smiles lazily at him over the fire. Alex’s mouth goes dry.

“Have you played Never Have I Ever?”

“Is that the one where you say a thing you haven’t done, and if the other person has done it, they take a drink?”

“That’s the one.”

“Sure. You go first, though. I need an example. I haven’t played something like this since uni.”

Alex rolls his eyes dramatically enough to make sure Henry can still see it in the darkness.

“Never have I ever...published a book.”

“That’s cheating, that is!” Henry exclaims, but takes a drink anyway. “Never have I ever tried a case of law.”

“So boring!” Alex drinks. 

“So was yours!” Henry shoots back. “Say something more interesting, then.”

“Fine. Never have I ever had sex in the ocean.”

Henry bursts out laughing; Alex grins, watching carefully. Henry tries to do it quickly, but the sip he takes is unmistakable.

“You’ve had sex in the fucking _ocean_? Spill.”

“I guess it was technically the sea. Can I take that back?”

“Fuck, no. Let’s hear it.”

Henry sighs through his embarrassed smile and runs a hand through his hair. “My family has a summer home in the Mediterranean, on Majorca. I did a fair bit of partying there when I was younger, and it happened during a drunken hookup. Just, y’know...” He makes a crude jerking off gesture, and Alex laughs.

“You consider that sex?”

“Got off, didn’t I?”

“I don’t know, did you?”

“Yes, I did. And so did he.” Henry bites his lip and stares into the fire. Alex is struck with the sudden desire to smooth it out with the pad of his finger, to watch and feel Henry’s lips part under the weight of his thumb. He blinks several times. It must be the booze, he thinks. And the sex talk. That’s all.

“Your turn,” Alex reminds him.

“Never have I ever…” Henry pauses, thinking. “Had sex with a woman.” He looks mischievous. 

Alex drinks. “You’re really gay, huh?”

“Very much so. What about you?”

“I’m bi.” Alex doesn’t miss the raised eyebrow in response. He smirks. 

“You’re full of surprises, Alex Claremont-Diaz.”

Alex doesn’t think he’s imagining the flirtiness in Henry’s tone. He decides to switch it up.

“Never have I ever killed someone.”

“So you’re not a serial killer after all!”

“Nope. Sorry to disappoint.”

“Believe me,” Henry says, eyes hooded as he looks at Alex, “I’m not disappointed.”

An involuntary shiver runs down Alex’s spine.

— 

The tent is already pretty small, and Henry’s suitcases take up a not insignificant amount of space. Alex and Henry stumble in drunk and laughing, shushing each other. Alex lets himself fall face forward, the pillowy sand under the tent floor providing a soft landing. He groans. Henry falls next to him, and Alex is painfully aware of his proximity, heat radiating off him even in the warmth of the tent on the humid summer evening.

Alex wriggles out of his shorts, leaving him in just boxers. He can feel Henry’s eyes on him, but he refuses to look. He rolls onto his side, facing away from Henry, and squeezes his eyes closed, heart thudding in his chest. The air feels thick; the only sound is the waves and their shallow breathing in the tent. 

“Good night, Alex,” Henry says softly. Alex’s stomach flips.

“Good night,” he says back, barely a whisper.

It’s so late and Alex is so drunk and he knows he should be tired, but his body feels wired with an electric current. The night passes slowly, like he’s dreaming while awake. When birds start singing, Alex can’t take it anymore. He opens up the tent as quietly as possible and makes his escape. The sky is perfectly clear and the fresh, cool air feels incredible against his skin. Alex jogs up to the water’s edge and sits in the sand, the waves barely lapping at his toes.

The sun is just starting to emerge from the horizon like a molten ball of fire when Henry appears at Alex’s side. He drops to the sand clad in boxers and a white tank top. Alex smiles at him, too tired to be snarky.

“Trouble sleeping?” Henry’s voice is soft and gentle and somehow, just what Alex wants to hear.

“Yeah.” He doesn’t elaborate.

“Me too. Always. Guess catching a beautiful sunrise is one of the only benefits.” Henry’s elbow knocks into Alex’s, so Alex elbows him back in the ribs. Henry laughs as they tussle for a moment, then Alex catches Henry’s fingers in his hand. They lock eyes, and Alex promptly drops Henry’s hand. He swallows and looks back out at the sunrise, but movement in the corner of his eye catches his attention.

“Henry, look!”

Several horses are making their way down the quiet, empty beach in varying shades of shiny brown and white. They’re stunning against the backdrop of the pink-orange sky reflecting off the water. Henry grabs Alex’s arm, his mouth hanging open as he watches.

“Did June tell you about the wild horses?” Alex whispers, trying not to disturb them.

“She said there was something special about the island but she didn’t say what. This is unreal,” Henry breathes.

“We’re not supposed to get close to them. Just don’t move.”

“I left my phone in the tent.”

“Me too. Guess we just have to be in the moment.” Alex sends Henry a tired smirk before turning back to watch the horses trot down the beach. Henry’s hand is still on his arm, warm and heavy. The slight morning haze makes everything feel dreamy, magical.

Paying no mind, the horses cut through the campsites and toward the bay. Once they’re no longer in sight, Alex and Henry lock eyes, then burst into laughter.

“Was that a bloody hallucination? Are we still drunk?”

“I definitely am, at least a little.”

“You’re trouble, you know.”

“Because I make you keep up with me drinking?”

“For a lot of reasons.”

“So you are getting to know me.” Alex grins. He can see Henry trying to keep the smile off his face.

They watch the rest of the sunrise in silence, then walk slowly back to the tent. All of a sudden, exhaustion seeps through Alex’s body, all the way down to his bones.

“You going back to sleep?” Henry murmurs as Alex collapses once again.

“Mmhmm. You?”

“Yeah.” 

Alex doesn’t hear if Henry says anything else, because he’s already drifting off.

He wakes up stiflingly hot and covered in sweat. The sun is beating into the tent from high in the sky, telling Alex it has to be past morning already. He realizes he’s extra warm from sharing body heat with Henry, whose back he’s curled up around. Henry’s ass is pressed against Alex’s hips, and as soon as Alex realizes it, his dick stirs.

He jumps back as if he’s been burned, rolling over and running face first into his backpack. There’s really not a lot of room in the tent, Alex reasons with himself, especially with Henry’s fucking ridiculous suitcases taking up half of it. He digs a dry swimsuit out of his bag and, with his eyes on Henry’s back, quickly changes into it. Then he heads straight for the ocean—the closest thing he’s going to get to a cold shower right now.

He’s pleased to find Henry awake and dressed with a fire going when he returns, getting water boiling for coffee and tea. Henry seems to be avoiding eye contact, but Alex catches him looking when he thinks Alex isn’t paying attention. Each time sends a weird little jolt through Alex’s body.

After a quick lunch, and with some caffeine in their systems, Alex suggests going for a hike around the state park, with a plan to find a secluded beach spot somewhere. Henry agrees and they set off into the hot, windy afternoon.

Alex marvels again at how easy it is to keep up conversation with Henry, whether they’re talking about their own lives or some random pop trivia fact. Henry takes all the shit Alex gives him and then some, always coming back with a quick quip or a way to turn it around. The hike isn’t difficult, but with the peak sun pounding down on them and the lack of shade, they take a lot of water breaks. By the time Alex drags Henry to find a deserted spot on the beach, his nose, cheeks, and shoulders are looking particularly pink. Alex is annoyed at how adorable it is.

Henry collapses onto his towel with a heavy sigh while Alex smirks and sets up the packable beach umbrella he brought along. 

“Does this angle work for you, princess?”

“Could you move it a bit to the right? My skin’s quite delicate.”

“I noticed.”

“I should probably reapply suntan lotion,” Henry says wistfully. “I’m afraid I’ve already burned.”

“First,” Alex says, “I bet you can’t beat me to the water.” He takes off running and Henry shoots up, chasing after him, but it’s too late. Alex cackles with glee before doing a full-on Baywatch move, splashing into the water as dramatically as possible. He looks back just in time to see Henry diving gracefully into a large, oncoming wave.

“What, are you a fucking Olympic diver in addition to being a published author?” Alex says when Henry comes up for air. Water pours down his hair, over his shoulders and chest, and Alex tries not to stare. He’s too late, though; a corner of Henry’s mouth quirks up knowingly.

“Just had swim lessons as a child.”

“My swim lessons never taught me to do that,” Alex grumbles. Henry splashes water at him playfully. 

They stay in the water, crashing themselves into the waves, ducking underwater, and doing handstands until Henry insists that he really needs to reapply sunscreen. After a hot hike and working hard to keep themselves afloat in the ocean, they both collapse onto their towels, breathing a little harder than normal. Alex immediately reaches for his backpack and pulls out two beers, handing one to Henry before cracking open his own. Henry smiles in thanks, his azure eyes sparkling. 

Alex figures out he might be in trouble when he realizes he already knows the exact shade and tenor of Henry’s fucking _eyes_.

He comes to understand just how much trouble he’s in once Henry starts applying his fucking _sunscreen_.

Alex keeps his eyes barely cracked under his sunglasses so he can plausibly deny that he’s watching, but Christ. Henry’s fingers are long and elegant and powerful as they move over his skin. _So much skin_. Alex had noticed that Henry has a good body, but now his eyes are drawn to every firm bump of muscle as Henry works the lotion in—his biceps, his forearms, his fucking _pecs_. Alex finds himself fantasizing about running his own hands over Henry’s body everywhere Henry’s doing it and is honestly surprised he doesn’t start drooling uncontrollably. 

June was right; it’s been too long since he’s gotten any. That’s all this is.

“Alex?” Henry whispers, and Alex startles into a sitting position, knocking over his beer and flinging his sunglasses off his face. He rescues the beer first. “Sorry, I wasn’t sure if you were sleeping. Were you?”

“Um—no—just—just...resting.”

“Would you mind…?” Henry bites his lip and holds out the bottle of sunscreen. It takes far too long for Alex to understand that he’s asking for help with his back. Alex swallows.

“Aren’t those absurdly long arms good for anything?” Alex says, moving to sit behind Henry. Henry flashes him a grin and shrugs.

The muscles and planes of Henry’s back feel like heaven under Alex’s palms, firm and smooth and luxurious. His shoulders are broad, tapering down to his narrow waist, spine bumping out along the center. Alex carefully covers every square inch of skin, taking the time to press in gently where he feels tense knots in Henry’s neck and shoulders. Henry shifts slightly under Alex’s ministrations; his head falls forward, and Alex swears he hears the quietest, breathiest of moans.

“Vacation is supposed to make you less stressed, you know,” Alex says, trying to break the tension he feels building up in the air around them the longer he massages Henry when he definitely should have been done by now.

“This is helping,” Henry murmurs. Alex works his fingers down Henry’s spine. When he reaches Henry’s lower back, he sees gooseflesh break out over his skin despite the heat of the day.

Alex makes a noncommittal noise and rests his hands on Henry’s hips briefly before forcing himself to remove them.

“All done.” Alex moves back to his towel and promptly chugs what’s left of his beer. Henry stretches above his head, smiling lazily. 

“Thanks.” Henry takes a slow pull of beer, eyes on Alex, and Alex officially needs a fucking break.

“I’m going to listen to music,” he says, popping his AirPods in, lying back on the towel, and closing his eyes.

“High School Musical?” Henry asks with a mischievous glint to his eye.

“Fuck off,” Alex says, flipping Henry the bird, but his gigantic smile probably dulls the intended effect.

—

A couple hours later, Alex is warm, tipsy, and content. Henry looks equally comfortable reading a massive book and drinking his fourth beer. Alex sits up, stretching his arms up over his head.

“We should get back before the sun goes down. I’m going to take one last dip here, if you want to join.”

Henry is up and racing past him before he can blink. “Beat you there!”

“That’s cheating!” Alex yells, chasing after him over the empty beach and into the water. Henry turns around at the last second and Alex tackles him, full on, into the crashing waves. They reappear laughing, spluttering, coughing up the taste of salt water. Alex swims out until he can’t touch his toes to the sand anymore, treading water and bobbing up and down with the flow of the waves. Henry, Alex is pleased to note, follows him.

“What was that for?” Henry asks, splashing him a little with a small smile.

“For thinking your prissy ass can beat me,” Alex says, splashing back. Henry grabs his wrists under the water and pulls Alex closer to him, and it’s then that he realizes Henry’s still able to stand where it’s too deep for him. Alex is too busy mentally cursing the several inches of height Henry has on him to notice just how close Henry has gotten until he feels Henry’s long fingers wrapping around the back of his neck.

“I did beat you,” Henry says in a low voice, the distance between them slowly disappearing until Henry’s mouth is on his. Alex is left blinking. He only freezes for a second, then leans into the kiss, and Henry deepens it immediately, wrapping his other arm around Alex’s waist. His tongue brushes against Alex’s, and Alex feels it in the base of his spine. 

Alex floats into Henry’s chest, unable to find the ocean floor with his feet. Henry laughs against his lips, pressing their foreheads together. 

“Is this okay?” he whispers. Alex doesn’t bother to control his eye roll.

“Come the fuck here,” Alex says, clinging to his shoulders, and kisses him again. Henry’s hands—his huge, powerful hands—move down Alex’s back, over his hips, palming his ass, and Alex’s legs are already floating all over the place, so he lets them wrap around Henry’s waist to anchor himself. Henry’s resulting moan is quiet and feels like it’s reverberating through Alex’s entire body. They kiss and kiss, Alex’s hands roaming all over the same perfect back he was rubbing lotion into earlier, but letting himself fully enjoy it this time. Henry shifts, pulling him closer, and Alex gasps into Henry’s mouth when he feels the full evidence of Henry’s arousal pressed hot and hard against his own erection, the thin fabric hiding nothing, even as their suits billow around them in the water.

Alex doesn’t know how long they’ve been kissing when Henry breaks away, breathing hard. It’s only then he notices how low the sun is in the sky, remembers that he was just going to jump in the water quick before hiking back. His head knows they need to stop now to be at their campsite before dark, but every other part of his body that’s rubbing against Henry’s in the slippery water is screaming at him not to.

“You said we need to get back, right?” Henry says, interrupting Alex’s train of thought. He looks bashful, cheeks pink, even as his hands continue to cover the entire surface area of Alex’s ass. “Sorry.”

“Don’t fucking apologize,” Alex says, then takes a deep breath, summoning all his strength. “But yeah, unless you’re interested in leveling up your first camping experience when we inevitably get lost on the island in the dark, we need to go, like, now.”

“Sounds like an adventure,” Henry replies, squeezing Alex’s butt. Alex lets out a little yelp and squirms in his arms, which leads to their dicks sliding together, the friction rough and delicious from the fabric of their suits. They both moan. Henry finishes saying, a little breathlessly, “But you’re right, we should go. Be responsible, and all that.”

“I fucking hate being responsible,” Alex grumbles. He’s about to extract himself from Henry’s grip when Henry turns and starts walking them both toward the shore, moving in slow motion through the water. Alex comes up with a whole slew of complaints relating to the fact that he’s not a damsel in distress needing to be carried, but Henry preemptively shuts him up by laying a trail of soft, wet kisses down his neck. Alex grips the back of Henry’s head, trying and failing to remember what he was going to say.

“God, you’re sexy,” Henry murmurs once they reach an area shallow enough that he can’t hold Alex weightlessly up underwater much longer. The words send a little thrill down Alex’s spine. He doesn’t say anything, just kisses Henry hard and fast, and Henry responds eagerly to his mouth. Alex lets himself rut up against Henry a few more times, which results in Henry promptly dropping him. “You have to fucking stop that or we’re not going to make it,” Henry says, eyes dark and trained on Alex’s. Alex smirks.

“My bad,” he says, jogging out of the water, running his hands through his wet hair. He thinks he can hear Henry’s long-suffering sigh behind him.

The hike back is completely miserable. They don’t bother to change out of their wet suits, just throw everything in their backpacks and start off, trying to move fast. Alex’s erection takes it sweet time before finally waning, the memories of Henry’s hands and Henry’s mouth and Henry’s gorgeous fucking eyes too fresh and too recent. The mosquitoes come out in full force as the sun goes down, descending upon them like a cloud they can’t escape from. Bloodsucking little fuckers.

At one point, Alex breaks out into a run, and Henry follows. The mosquitoes aren’t as bad once they make it back to the oceanfront. The sun is just disappearing into the horizon, the sky awash in shades of pink. Neither takes time to enjoy it, though; they just dive into the tent, panting, and dissolve into laughter.

“That was,” Henry says, ripping off the backpack he borrowed from Alex, “the absolute worst hike of my bloody life.”

“Like you have anything to compare it to,” Alex scoffs, his chest searing from the run. He doesn’t miss Henry’s eye roll.

“You enjoyed it, then? Think it’s nice running from a crowd of vampire insects with a raging hard-on, do you?”

“Who said I had a hard-on?” Alex smirks.

Henry’s eyes roll again, slow and exaggerated. “I _felt_ it, you wanker.”

“You sure about that? Maybe you should get over here so I can show you what it really feels like.”

Henry bursts into laughter, and Alex grins, something fluttering in his chest. 

“You want me to?”

Alex drops his backpack and doesn’t bother with a response, just moves over and straddles Henry’s thighs, finding Henry’s hands and pushing them down, linking their fingers together next to Henry’s head. It’s getting dark in the tent quickly, but Henry still looks effortlessly beautiful in the dim light, awash in blues and grays.

Alex leans down little by little, enjoying the sight of anticipation building on Henry’s face. He pauses a breath away from Henry’s lips, waiting, and after a moment Henry surges up to meet him. The kiss is slower than it had been in the water, leisurely and languid and full of smoldering heat. Alex enjoys the feel of pinning Henry’s hands and body and mouth down with his own, of making Henry experience exactly what he wants him to. Henry seems to be enjoying it too, going by the vibrations Alex feels every time Henry moans against his lips. He grinds his hips down against Henry’s and Henry’s entire body shudders, sending a thrill of excitement through him. He pulls back only to kiss along Henry’s jaw, up to the soft spot just under his ear, where he pauses to suck with wet lips and pulse his tongue. Henry feels like he’s melting underneath Alex’s mouth, his body turning to putty beneath Alex’s hands. It’s a gigantic fucking turn on.

It doesn’t take long before they’re both hard again, the tent filling with the sound of quiet groans and gasps as they rub against each other. Henry kisses Alex with increasing desperation, fighting to free his hands only to thread them through Alex’s hair and insistently push Alex’s mouth to his. When Alex finally pulls back, breathless, it’s completely dark, and he can just make out the elegant features of Henry’s face. 

“Are you going to try and tell me this isn’t a hard-on?” Henry surprises Alex by wriggling his hand between them and cupping Alex’s cock. Alex half-laughs, half-groans, lifting his hips to give Henry room, the deliberate pressure incredible after so long wanting more friction.

“Can you really be sure through the swim trunks?” Alex goads him, not at all pleased with how pathetic and breathy it comes out.

“Are you asking me to take them off?” Henry’s voice is rough and practically dripping sex. He rubs Alex’s cock and Alex bites back a moan.

“What do you think?”

“I think I want to hear you ask for it,” Henry says with authority, then moves to nip at Alex’s earlobe. Alex’s entire body quivers under his touch, his words.

“I never would have guessed you’d be so fucking bossy in bed,” Alex replies, trying and utterly failing to pretend he’s not a thousand percent turned on by it.

Henry pulls back just enough for Alex to see his raised eyebrow in response. Alex lets out a frustrated groan, Henry’s hand still teasing him to no end.

“Fine,” he says, then licks his lips. “Take my shorts off and see for yourself.”

“Say please,” Henry says, finding a spot on Alex’s neck to suck on. Alex is fucking squirming and desperate to feel Henry fully against his skin.

“Come on,” Alex groans, the anticipation overwhelming.

“Please,” Henry mouths against his pulse point.

Alex briefly closes his eyes, his pride warring with just how much he fucking wants this. Then, he whispers, “ _Please_.”

He feels Henry’s lips curve up against his neck and Henry’s hands move to the waistband of his swim trunks. He lifts his hips and in one quick motion, Henry has them around his ankles with a hand fully wrapped around his cock. It feels so incredibly good after so much buildup that Alex’s mouth drops open, momentarily incapable of making any sound.

“Feels hard to me,” Henry murmurs, then goes back to kissing and licking his way down Alex’s neck and over his collarbone as he strokes Alex’s cock slow and firm. Alex chokes out a laugh which becomes a grunt as Henry’s thumb swipes over the head. Then, Henry takes both hands to Alex’s hips and gently but forcefully pushes him off until Alex is on his back. Henry climbs on top of him with a triumphant smile, and Alex reaches up to wind his hands around the back of Henry’s neck and pull him close for a long, hot, open-mouthed kiss. 

The pleasure Alex felt as Henry touched him is still echoing throughout his body, every limb full of tension and desire. He lets his hands run up and down the sides of Henry’s perfect body, relishing in the feel of Henry shivering beneath his touch. Then, he hooks his thumbs in the waistband of Henry’s shorts and breaks off, looking up at him questioningly.

“ _Please_ ,” Henry says, not without some sass. Alex yanks them down and gives Henry’s ass a little slap in the process. From the look that comes over Henry’s face and the sound that comes out of his mouth, he enjoyed it, Alex notes. Before he can get his hand around Henry’s dick, though, Henry is moving down, kissing his chest and thumbing over his nipple, trailing his tongue down Alex’s stomach, digging his fingers into Alex’s hip. Every touch is driving Alex wild, sparking jolts of pleasure that only add to the gentle thrum of _wanting_ simmering restlessly under his skin. Henry trails his lips down to Alex’s leg, lifts it up and presses sucking kisses against the tender skin of Alex’s inner thigh. His cock is straining at this point, precome leaking from the tip, hard and begging to be touched. Henry takes his time, though, nuzzling his nose into the crevice where Alex’s thigh meets his groin while he breathes hot air onto Alex’s skin, ghosting over his balls and then doing the same to his other leg. Alex’s entire body is pulled taut like a bow, drops of sweat sliding down the sides of his forehead.

Finally, after what seems like an eternity of gentle teasing, hot kisses and soft touching, Alex feels the firm pressure of Henry’s hand around the base of his cock and the warm, wet softness of Henry’s mouth wrapping around the head and _sucking_. Alex cries out in relief, his head snapping down only to see Henry looking back up at him with his bright blue eyes as he takes Alex’s cock between his lips. It’s a thrilling, arousing, and stunningly beautiful sight.

Henry is _good_ at this, his hand and mouth working in tandem to completely envelope Alex in wave after wave of intense pleasure. Alex squeezes his eyes shut, throws his hand over his face and bites into his arm, trying to keep himself from making too much noise with their fellow campers not that far away. But Henry sucks at him like he wants to wring every strangled moan, every stuttered gasp, every song of praise from Alex’s mouth, and Alex wants nothing more than to tell him how fucking good he is, how fucking perfect he is, how fucking gorgeous he is, _sweetheart_.

Alex lets his free hand fall to the top of Henry’s head, not exerting any pressure but simply threading through his hair, brushing over his cheek and temple, trying to tell Henry through his touch what he’s feeling. Henry responds by picking up the pace and changing the teasing touch of his tongue to a flat firmness pressing against the underside of Alex’s cock with every stroke. Alex’s entire body is trembling, thighs clenched tight, warmth and pleasure building up quickly in his groin. He removes his arm from his mouth and looks down again, wanting to tell Henry he’s getting close, but instead a babble of words escape his lips: “Henry, _baby_ , fucking Christ, fucking beautiful, I want you so fucking bad,” and Henry’s eyes flick back up, shining with amusement. At that moment, he pulls back so just his mouth is suckling at the head of Alex’s cock while his tongue works the sensitive underside and his hand jerks the entire shaft quick and smooth. Alex somehow stops himself from screaming at the concentrated explosion of pleasure in his dick and instead moans, breathily, “ _Sweetheart_ , fuck,” as he comes into Henry’s mouth. Alex feels it crash through his entire shaking body, unable to stop himself from jerking his hips a little bit and tightening his hand in Henry’s hair. Henry goes all the way down Alex’s cock with his mouth once more, and it sends aftershocks shooting through his limbs.

Henry finally pulls back and sits up, swiping his lower lip with his thumb and inhaling deeply. He’s smiling a little, one hand on Alex’s still-trembling leg. Alex stares up at him dumbly, mouth open, the sound of his harsh breaths filling the small tent. His mind is blissfully empty for once, the only thing he can focus on the sweet feeling of Henry’s thumb rubbing soft circles into his inner thigh.

“You’re really fucking good at that,” Alex finally manages to say. Henry’s smile gets bigger. Alex summons all his strength to sit up and pulls Henry in by the back of his neck, finding his lips and kissing him softly, tenderly. Henry sighs contentedly into his mouth. They stay like that, just kissing and touching each other, hands roaming over sweaty, sandy skin. After a few minutes, Alex moves, pushing Henry in the chest until Henry’s the one lying down. Alex kneels between his thighs, eyes roving appreciatively over his body, lingering on his hard cock. “Of course even your fucking dick is perfect,” Alex scoffs, pleased by the sound of Henry’s laughter in response.

“Yeah? You like it?”

Alex responds by wrapping his fingers around the hard shaft and giving a few slow pulls. The smile on Henry’s face falters as his lips part, and he sucks in a shaky breath. Alex is living for every small change in his expression that tells him Henry’s enjoying his touch. He thinks about drawing it out the way Henry did to him, kissing every inch of Henry’s pale skin and turning him into a writhing mess before Alex gives him any sense of relief, but quickly determines he’s too impatient. Instead, he stretches out over the floor of the tent on his stomach and continues stroking Henry’s cock while he takes Henry’s balls in his mouth. 

Henry makes a loud, choked sound; Alex is all too happy to let go for a moment to shush him. Then he does it again, laving his tongue around the skin and forming gentle suction while his hand works Henry’s dick nice and slow. He can see Henry’s fingers scrabbling for something to hold onto, so Alex takes his free hand and guides Henry to the back of his head. Henry’s touch is soft and tentative like he’s afraid of hurting Alex, in total contrast to his dominating demeanor from before. Alex likes that Henry seems to be a bundle of contradictions wrapped up in one person, eager to demand but shy to receive at the same time.

Alex enjoys playing with Henry’s balls for a little while before firmly licking a stripe up the underside of his cock. Henry’s breathing hitches, egging him on. He presses just the tip of his tongue to the head, collecting the salty wetness there and circling a few times before wrapping his lips around Henry’s cock. He slowly sinks himself down, gripping Henry’s hips, until he feels Henry at the back of his throat and swallows around him once, twice, three times.

“Fucking Christ,” he hears Henry mumble, his fingers twisting in Alex’s hair now, seemingly unable to stop himself from tightening his grip. Alex slides back up and off to take a deep breath before taking Henry in again and starting a rhythm, enjoying the feel of Henry’s thighs trembling under him, surprised when Henry’s hips start thrusting, just a little bit, to meet Alex’s mouth. He doesn’t mind, but he pushes down forcefully to remind Henry who’s in charge, and sucks him to the hilt again.

When he looks up, Henry’s staring down at him with wide eyes. One shaky hand comes to rest on Alex’s cheek, thumb dipping into the hollow there before brushing over the corner of Alex’s mouth. The intensity of it sends a jolt through Alex’s body, his spent cock stirring with interest. He swallows around Henry a few more times before replacing his mouth with his hand, pulling Henry off rough and quick while taking a moment to breathe. He rubs Henry’s cock against his cheek where Henry’s hand had been a moment before and hears a muttered, “You’re going to fucking kill me.”

Alex smirks before returning to his work. This time, he mimics Henry’s technique, wrapping a hand around the base and sucking until Henry’s breaths are coming fast and ragged, until he’s cutting off his own groans. This time, Alex lets Henry roll his hips a little, and it’s not long before Henry’s brushing the hair off Alex’s forehead and murmuring, “Alex, I’m—”, but Alex could already feel it in Henry’s cock, and he goes deep again until Henry’s coming down his throat, small spasms taking over his entire body.

Henry doesn’t pause, just grabs Alex’s arms and hauls him up to kiss him senseless, both of them gasping for breath. Henry wraps his arms around Alex tight until Alex’s full weight is on top of him, then he sighs and nuzzles into Alex’s neck. Alex is surprised at how much he enjoys the easy intimacy between them, how he somehow feels like he’s known Henry forever, even though it’s only been a day.

Henry squints playfully at Alex and says, “Was that as good for you as it was for me?”

“Fuck, yes,” Alex responds immediately. “Were you planning that the whole time?”

“I wouldn’t say planning.” Henry looks bashful and innocent, the complete opposite of how Alex now knows him to be. “I thought you were hot the moment I saw you. I just wanted to see where things would go. It felt like you were encouraging me to go for it.” 

“I’m not complaining about it, that’s for sure.” Alex leans down and sucks on Henry’s earlobe before murmuring, “Are you hungry?”

“Starving.”

Alex reluctantly sits up and runs his hands through his hair. “Guess we should get a fire going for dinner. Does that mean I have to put on clothes?”

Henry snorts, pulling himself into a sitting position as well. “You tell me. What kind of campsite is this?”

They manage to pull themselves together enough to get shorts on, snacking on chips while they build a fire and cook burgers. Alex convinces Henry to do more shots with him, worried about things getting awkward, but he soon realizes he didn’t need to be. The conversation still flows easily between them, jabs of banter and sarcastic jokes passed as easily as breathing in between conversations about their families and jobs and lives. During a quiet moment, Alex finds himself gazing at Henry in the light of the fire, admiring the refined beauty of his features and the thoughtful glimmer of his eyes. He can tell there’s so much more to Henry that he keeps hidden, so much that Alex wants to tease out of him over time. Then Alex has to mentally slap himself upside the head for getting so goddamn sappy about what’s probably a one-time hookup—it’s not like he can count on Henry wanting to see him again after this weekend, and it’s not like he’d have time to actually date someone with his ridiculous work schedule. _Just enjoy whatever it is while you’re here_ , Alex tells himself.

The sound of voices and movement from the surrounding campsites slowly tapers off, leaving Alex and Henry as seemingly the only ones awake past midnight. They keep drinking and talking and at some point, after clinking their glasses and downing another shot, Henry grabs Alex’s wrist and pulls him close, kissing him so softly and tentatively that it feels like he’s asking for permission, like it could be the first time all over again. Alex puts his hands on Henry’s face and kisses him back hungrily, and Henry responds in kind, and they stay like that for a long time, just kissing and kissing, hands trailing all over each other’s bodies. When Henry breaks away, breathing hard, and looks into Alex’s eyes, Alex can feel it like liquid heat dripping down his spine.

“I have an idea,” he says, because the intensity of it is too fucking much.

“What’s that?” Henry says with a smile.

“Everyone’s asleep, right?” Alex gestures vaguely around.

“It would appear so.”

“So…” Alex wiggles his eyebrows. Henry’s resulting laugh makes his chest clench. “Skinny dipping?”

“With so many campsites around?”

“We determined they’re sleeping, didn’t we?”

“What if someone sees us?”

“Isn’t that what makes it exciting?” Alex licks his lips and watches Henry’s eyes follow his tongue’s movement.

“Is it?” Henry says, but he sounds helpless. Alex takes Henry’s hand and tugs. 

“Come on!”

They run out to the water hand-in-hand. At the edge, Alex hooks his thumbs in his shorts and looks back at the campsites for signs of life. Seeing none, he grins at Henry and drops them, then splashes his way into the water. It’s freezing but he plows on, his partial erection from Henry’s heated kissing wilting at the shock. He doesn’t look back, waiting to see if Henry joins him, and when he hears splashing behind him, his heartbeat speeds up.

Alex wades out until he’s up to his neck but still able to touch ground. The gentle waves make him bob up and down, and he ducks under for a second, wetting his hair. When he comes back up, he feels a strong arm wrap around his waist from behind, a hot mouth on his neck, and then Henry presses flush up against him. 

Alex starts trembling, but it’s not from the cold.

He looks back to make a sassy remark, but Henry captures his lips in a kiss instead. Alex turns around, letting Henry pull him close again, pressing their bodies together from thigh to chest. Henry’s skin is slippery in the water, and he tastes of salt and whiskey. Alex wraps his arms around Henry’s shoulders, one thumb rubbing down his spine. He’s already heating up again from Henry’s shared warmth and the low, hot pull of arousal in his belly.

“I want,” Henry says, low in Alex’s ear, “to make it so we both have to drink for having had sex in the ocean.”

Alex can’t help the grin that spreads over his face at Henry’s audacity. “How do you propose we do that?”

“Like this,” Henry says and kisses him, at the same time working his hand between their bodies and cupping Alex’s cock. It doesn’t take long to get him fully hard, and Alex reaches down to reciprocate, arousal zinging through him at the feel of Henry hardening in his palm. They stroke each other slowly, the water slippery, making it harder to find friction. Alex is just starting to get frustrated at the feeling of _not enough_ when Henry lets go of him to wrap his hand around Alex’s. He guides him so that their erections are pressed together with Alex’s hand around both of them and Henry’s hand around Alex’s.

“ _Oh_ ,” Alex says, pleasure spreading through his body, loving the way Henry’s cock feels against his own. He digs his toes into the sand and thrusts up between them, and Henry’s low moan sends tingles through him. Henry works Alex’s hand up and down over them, moving how he wants Alex to move and squeezing when he wants Alex to squeeze. There’s something so erotic about Henry controlling the way Alex is touching them, the way they’re tied up in each other’s pleasure and begging desperate little sounds and gasps from each other. Henry’s other hand finds its way to Alex’s ass, squeezing one cheek, spreading his long fingers toward the crevice. Alex hitches one leg up around Henry’s thigh to give him better access, and Henry takes it, slipping his fingers up and down, teasing him until he pauses on Alex’s hole and rubs slow circles there. Alex wants to yell, so he bites into Henry’s shoulder instead, and Henry grunts and moves their fists faster, fighting the resistance of the water. 

“God, you’re hot,” Henry says softly into his ear. Alex whimpers. “Everything about you feels so fucking good.”

“You feel fucking good,” Alex manages to respond, moving between grinding his ass back against Henry’s fingers and forward against Henry’s cock. He finds a rhythm thrusting that has Henry rubbing and rubbing against his sensitive hole, and Alex starts to lose focus on jerking them off, distracted by his nerve endings firing on all ends. Henry takes pity on him and moves Alex’s hand to his hip, then lets his own practiced fingers press their cocks together and squeeze around them. The sensations are too much; Alex is shaking, aware that he’s only standing because of Henry’s arm holding him up, and he clutches onto him tight, overwhelmed by the pleasurable connection between his clenching hole and his cock, so hard and full he thinks he might burst.

When Alex cries out, quickly losing control of his ability to control the noises he’s making, Henry moves faster, harder, and whispers in Alex’s ear, “Are you going to come for me?” and that’s all it takes. Alex lets go, hips thrusting desperately up into Henry’s hand as Henry continues playing with his hole, working him through it. Henry comes with a groan moments later, his body stilling and his forehead falling onto Alex’s shoulder, letting out a series of tiny moans and a quiet, “Oh, my god.”

Alex jumps into Henry’s arms like before, wrapping his legs around Henry’s waist, and kisses him hard. Henry’s hands roam over his ass, rubbing and kneading, and he kisses Alex back like Alex is giving him the very breath that keeps him alive. As Alex comes down, the cold starts to seep in, and he knows Henry feels it when he shivers.

“Should we go in?” Henry pulls back to ask, then plants little kisses along Alex’s jaw. Alex clings to him tighter, not wanting to give up the closeness.

“Probably,” he says reluctantly, letting his feet fall to the ocean floor once again. His thighs burn from the change in position. They make their way through the water slowly, hand in hand, keeping an eye out for movement anywhere on the beach. It’s dark and empty, the bright moon casting an eerie, silvery light over everything.

Alex grabs his shorts and runs for the tent without bothering to put them back on, and he hears Henry laughing behind him. Once they’ve dried off and put on boxers, Alex reaches for the tent zipper to go scatter the still smoldering logs in the fire pit, but Henry looks at him with dark eyes before pinning him to the floor of the tent, pressing him into the soft sand and kissing him within an inch of his life. Alex feels like they’re giddy teenagers who can’t keep their hands off each other, and the elation that accompanies Henry’s every look, touch, and kiss spreads through him like a slow-licking fire.

Eventually, they end up lying there, arms and legs tangled together, everything quiet but the sound of the waves lapping at the shore and the breaths passing between their lips. Henry’s fingers are pressed into the base of Alex’s skull and rubbing, and somehow he can feel it at the base of his spine. His mind is pleasantly hazy, totally focused on the present, on the warmth of their tent and the way it feels to have Henry touching him. Alex thinks, _I could get used to this_ , before he drifts to sleep.

— 

Alex’s anxiety increases exponentially the last hundred miles of the trip back until he pulls up in front of Henry’s apartment with disgustingly sweaty palms and a heartbeat so loud he’s sure Henry can hear it. He doesn’t know how he’s supposed to end this or what the fuck he’s supposed to say. Henry went quiet about twenty minutes ago, too, and Alex has no idea what he’s thinking, just that he’s probably trying to figure out how to make the point that this was a weekend-only thing, that he isn’t interested in seeing Alex ever again. Alex grimaces, hoping it won’t make things weird for June.

“What’s that face for?” Henry says, a small smile on his lips.

“What face?”

“You look like you’ve just swallowed a sea urchin.”

“No, I don’t,” Alex insists, smoothly backing his Jeep into the only available parallel parking spot on the block.

“How d’you know what your own face looks like?” Henry’s still smiling. Alex’s lips twitch. He takes a deep breath before responding.

“Look, Henry—”

“No, Alex, let me, please,” Henry interrupts him. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to say this the entire drive.”

“You don’t have to say—”

“Please, I beg you, just let me get this out,” Henry says. He’s gone pale, and Alex notes a bead of sweat dripping down his temple. He suddenly appears as nervous and sick as Alex feels, staring straight ahead out the window. “This weekend was incredible, and the beach was incredible and the horses were incredible and the sunrise was incredible, but the most incredible part was...you.” 

Alex’s heart skips a beat.

“I don’t know,” Henry continues, “what kind of god was smiling down upon me when I was invited on this trip with you. I don’t know if you thought of this as a weekend thing or a holiday thing or if you’re looking forward to never seeing me again. I do know that things may be complicated and there may be obstacles, but I would never forgive myself if I didn’t try. So, Alex…” Henry takes a deep breath. Alex’s heart is in his throat. “Would you do me the honor of going on a date with me?”

Alex can’t help it; he bursts out laughing. Henry eyes him with a crooked half-smile, like he’s not exactly sure what’s going on.

“I thought you were going to say you didn’t want to see me again, you ass!”

Henry’s face falls. “No! This weekend was—”

“I know,” Alex interrupts him. “I know exactly how it was, because that’s how it was for me too. And I would love to go on a date with you.” Henry grins stupidly at him. Alex can feel it mirrored on his own face. “Especially if you let me invite you over for after dinner drinks.”

Henry’s laugh sounds like coming home. “Can I invite you up for a drink right now? And maybe a shower? And a shag in a comfortable bed?”

“Fuck, yes,” Alex says. He reaches to unbuckle his seatbelt, but Henry stops him with warm palms on his shoulders and a soft kiss on his lips. He presses their foreheads together, moving his hands up to cradle Alex’s jaw.

“I told you, you’re trouble,” Henry murmurs. Alex smirks.

“Sweetheart, you don’t know the half of it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are amazing!!! I'm on tumblr: [omgcmere](https://omgcmere.tumblr.com/)


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